Seat belt systems comprise two basic elements, a buckle portion and an extendable belt having a clasping portion adapted for removable clasping to the buckle portion. The buckle portion is typically anchored to the vehicle or a seat structure via webbing or a cable or other equivalent means secured to the buckle portion at one end and the vehicle at the other end.
The extendable belt is generally connected to a retraction mechanism that is also anchored to the vehicle or the seat structure depending upon the type of belt being used (e.g., lap belt or shoulder harness). In some shoulder harness applications the retraction mechanism is secured to the vehicle at one point and an end of the belt is secured to the vehicle at another anchor point wherein the clasping portion is slidably received on the seat belt webbing located between the retraction mechanism and the anchor point. In these systems the anchor point is below the occupant at the vehicle to seat interface and the retraction mechanism is at or above the occupants shoulder. Also, the retraction mechanism and the anchor point are on the same side of the seat and the buckle portion is on the other side thus, the belt must be drawn across the seat to be secured to the buckle portion. Accordingly, when the user desires to buckle the seat belt they pull on the belt until a sufficient portion of the webbing is unfurled from the retractor and clasping portion is secured to the buckle portion, which is located at the opposite side of the seat with respect to the anchor point. In addition, vehicle restraint systems also comprise pyrotechnically activated devices such as a pre-tensioners, which in the type of system described above are located in or below the seat at the same location as the anchor point thus, activation of the pretensioner will cause any seat belt slack at the anchor point to be drawn in by the pretensioner.
In order to secure the webbing of the seat belt to the vehicle at the anchor point, a pneumatic tool is used/required to drive anchor bolts or rivets to into the vehicle or seat frame. However, there typically is not a lot of available room to operate the tools for securing the seat belt at the anchor point. Moreover, in larger vehicles such as mini-vans wherein the seats are removable or relocatable it is undesirable to have one end of the seat belt webbing unremovably anchored to the seat structure, as the same is removable from its locations.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for quickly and rigidly securing the extendable seat belt webbing to a vehicle using a minimal amount of installation tools.